


What You Do To Me

by huxduxtuxlux



Category: Dredd (2012), Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: 90s rock music, Alternate Universe - 1990s, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Summer Camp, M/M, athletic director kylo, camp director armitage, lifeguard matt, med school, nurse techie
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-14
Updated: 2019-11-17
Packaged: 2020-10-18 17:43:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 5,783
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20643146
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/huxduxtuxlux/pseuds/huxduxtuxlux
Summary: It's summer 1995, and William "Techie" Hux, the camp nurse, has enough to deal with: his older brother - camp director Armitage Hux - is basically running a dictatorship, he's getting ready to start medical school, his band just broke up, and his allergies are killing him.He does NOT the added distraction of Matt, the new head lifeguard.No, he really doesn't.





	1. The 19th Annual Pre-Season Staff Mixer

The 19th Annual Pre-Season Staff Mixer is always held a week before the campers arrive, in the Dining Hall. Under the former directors, the Staff Mixer was a bright affair with loud live music, banners and games, kegs a-flowing, and miles of pizza and baked goods. For the last three years, however, under the new cost-cutting direction of Armitage Hux, it was much more subdued. An Enya tape played from the boombox, a few card decks were strewn about the dining tables, and they ate the same sorry slop they'd serve the kids all summer. Baked beans, boiled hot dogs, canned cream corn, watered-down apple juice. A few of the counselors had "donated" some cans of Hamm's but they were all gone by the time Techie arrived to the dining hall. He'd spent painstaking hours making sure the health office was fully stocked for the summer; the last thing he needed was to have to drive the 20 minutes into town to get some gauze after a kid slices his hand open in the boat shed.

Techie liked being up north, though - he much preferred the crisp air up here to the stifling humidity of his home in the cities 3 hours south. He liked that he could wear layers without sweating to death, and that he didn't have to lather on sunscreen before stepping outside. He wore his light-wash jeans, Jesus and Mary Chain tee-shirt, a red flannel, Doc Martens, long red ponytail, and one big hoop earring confidently - he was just comfortable here. Even if the food was shit.

He loaded up his tray with less-than-appealing fare and found his seat next to Armitage. He and his brother had grown up at the camp, had been counselors as teens, and when the old directors retired, they left it in Armitage's capable, Business-School-Trained hands. And that was good - Armitage was good at management and budgeting and all that stuff, but he wasn't exactly...fun. 

He sat there in his gray polo shirt, hair neat, munching away at his food as if it wasn't nasty. When all his food was chewed and swallowed, he asked, "health office all set?"

"Sure is. Though we could use some more fun Band-Aids," Techie told him. "Kids feel better when their first aid has Scooby-Doo or lightsabers on it."

"That's nonsense," said Armitage. The music stopped, and soon Metallica was blasting through the speakers, much too loud for Armitage's taste. His face went sour. "Who changed the music?" He stood up and looked to the boombox, where a tall, muscular guy with dark hair and too many bracelets stood, looking proud of himself. Armitage snarled. "Him."

"Who's that?" Techie asked. 

Armitage sat down, still snarling. "Calls himself Kylo Ren. New Athletic Director. Reckless."

"Then why'd you hire him?"

"I didn't," Armitage said. "I mean, not directly. Josh dropped last minute, got some internship out east, so it looked like we were going to be without an Athletic Director, but then Phas told me about this guy and we were desperate...but Christ, I already hate the bastard."

"What's so bad about him?"

"He's just an asshole."

"You know, people have said that about you."

Armitage glared at his younger brother with no real malice. "I'm aware."

Two tall shadows came over the table - Phasma, Hux's assistant director and best friend, and a tall blond guy Techie didn't recognize.

"Hey guys, this is Matt, the new Head of Aquatics," Phasma said, taking a seat next to Hux. She gestured for Matt to sit next to Techie, and he did so, awkwardly bending his large body into the tight space between the bench and the table. These tables were designed for children, after all. "Well, you've met him, of course, Hux. Matt, this is Techie, camp nurse and Hux's brother."

"Nice to meet you," Techie said politely.

"You don't look like any nurse I've seen before," said Matt. His voice was deep and weirdly level, intense yet almost devoid of cadence. "You look like Brendan O'Hare."

Phasma raised her eyebrow. "Um, that a friend of yours, Matt?"

"No, he's-"

"He's the drummer of Teenage Fanclub. Er, was." Techie finished, smiling. "Thanks."

"You like Teenage Fanclub?" Now Matt's voice was expressive, excited.

"I do, yeah. I was more into them a few years ago, I did a semester in Glasgow and went to a show of theirs, which is when I adopted the whole earring-and-ponytail thing. It just kinda stuck. Lately I've been listening to a lot of Pavement and Weezer and stuff. Trying to stay on the new things." As he rotated a bit toward Matt, he saw his eyes light up.

"You like the Jesus and Mary Chain, too?!"

"Yeah, I love them! My band actually started as a cover band, I could play 'Darklands' in my sleep."

"You're in a band? What do you play?"

"Guitar. And, well, I guess I WAS in a band. We just broke up." Techie tried not to sound too depressed about it, but he was still in mourning.

"Oh I'm sorry to hear that, how come?"

"We're all starting at different medical schools this fall. Our drummer will be in Toronto, bassist in Georgia, lead singer in California. And me here, U of M."

"So, what, you were all pre-med?"

"Yeah. We were called EKG Machine." His bandmates weren't just his bandmates, but his roommates and his best friends. While he was excited about starting his medical career, he wasn't ready for so much of his life to just end. But it had.

"Anyway, uh, enough about me." Techie said, pushing a stray strand of ginger hair behind his ear. "What brings you to Camp Evergreen?"

They were so absorbed in their conversation that they didn't notice Armitage and Phasma get up to leave, or the music stopping altogether, or the sun setting, or just about everyone heading out to the bonfire, and then to their cabins.

"Oh, shit, it's after midnight," Techie said, checking his watch.

"You got a curfew?" Matt asked.

Techie chuckled. "No, uh, but I do have to get up early to process the immunization records, so, um, I should get to bed."

"Yeah, me, too," said Matt. "I gotta inspect all the canoes and kayaks tomorrow - it's gonna take all day."

"What cabin are you in?" Techie asked.

"Staff C. There's like 6 of us in there. That Kylo guy, the kitchen guys, Mitaka and Thannison, a couple others whose names I can't remember. You?"

"Staff A, it's the back end of the main office. Just me, Armitage, and Phasma. It's kind of nice, we each have our own rooms."

"That's really nice. I did wonder, I mean I heard staff hook up all the time, but with these cabins there's not a lot of privacy. Do people mostly just roll around in the grass?"

"Yeah, and the boathouse, so make sure to clean the canoes with gloves."

Matt groaned. "Great."

Techie laughed. "Come on, I'll walk you to your cabin."

"What a gentleman," Matt smirked.

Techie tried to ignore the little flip his stomach did when Matt looked at him like that. He didn't need any distractions this summer. And he definitely didn't need to fall for a straight guy who had the potential to become a great new friend.

When they got to the mosquito-buzzing lights of Cabin C, Techie said a quick goodnight and see ya tomorrow, turning back toward his own cabin quickly, before he could think about how gorgeous and romantic the stars were, and how lovely Matt's big brown eyes were behind his wire-framed glasses.

And Matt just stood there, watching him walk into the darkness.


	2. Do You Live Under a Rock?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> note: language in discussion around LGBTQ+ identities and issues is modified for the setting of the mid 90s.

It's 8 days till they talk again.

They've been so busy getting things prepared for the arrival of campers, they've had no time to socialize. And even if they did, Techie was more likely to stay in his cabin with his tapes and guitar than to go get drunk by the fire. Techie wasn't too worried about it - it was better he didn't see Matt much; he wasn't exactly looking to spend another summer pining after a straight guy. 

Matt, however, was puzzled and distressed when he showed up to breakfast and couldn't find Techie, yet again. He spotted a head full of red hair and rushed over.

"Armitage! Hi."

"Good morning, Matthew," Hux said with the professional decorum of a senator, not a camp counselor eating Smiley Hashbrowns and wearing a tie-dyed polo shirt.

"Is Techie ok? I haven't seen him around so I was just..." Matt felt his ears going hot. "Just wanted to make sure he was ok. It would be bad if the nurse was sick, right? Heh."

Armitage waved his hand. "Oh, he's fine, he just likes to stay in the health office. One time 3 years ago he was in the lunch line when a kid broke his arm and he's never forgiven himself. He's got a little kitchenette in there so he just eats instant oatmeal and ramen all day."

"Oh. Ok. Thanks."

Armitage looked around in thought. His eyes landed on something by the kitchen. "You know, I forgot, he asked me for more ice for the health office and I'm not going to have time to bring it to him until this afternoon. If you have a minute when you're done eating, would you mind bringing him a bag?"

"Yeah! I mean no, I don't mind! Just, any bag from the freezer?"

"Any bag from the freezer." Armitage nodded.

"Ok, great!"

Matt ate awfully fast. He didn't know why he was so eager and excited to haul a bag of ice to the health office, but he felt like he couldn't wait. 

Techie was reading a few-months-old copy of NME he'd ordered from the record shop when there was a knock at the door. "What do you think it is?" he asked Janet, the precocious 11 year old that visited him every morning to take her cocktail of meds. "Bee sting or persistent vomit?"

"Run of the mill knee scrape," she said decidedly, chasing down her pills with a Dixie cup of apple juice. "The kids this year are a reckless bunch."

Techie chuckled and rose to get the door, his head automatically tilting down, expecting to greet a pre-teen. 

"Uh, hi!" said Matt, ice bag resting atop his shoulder. "Your brother asked me to bring you some ice so...ice."

Techie took a minute to process the arrival of this unexpected visitor. Especially because he'd restocked on ice just last night, and Armie knew it.

Then it clicked. Fuckin' Armie. He'd have to talk with him. Tell him not to pull this shit anymore. You're not the matchmaker you think you are, so just give it a rest already.

But that was for later. Matt was here, now, in front of him, with ice melting on his shoulder. "Come in, come in!"

Techie led him to the fridge and opened the freezer door. Matt must've noticed the bags of ice already sitting there, but he said nothing, shoving his new ice in beside them. Techie sat back down at his desk, but Matt stayed where he was, surveying the magnets on the fridge.

"What's this?" Matt asked, pointing to the pink triangle magnet next to the door handle.

Janet scoffed. "It's a pink triangle, obviously."

Matt chuckled good-naturedly. "Yes, I see that, but what does it mean?"

Techie and Janet exchanged a look. Matt felt his ears go hot again - he knew that look. It meant other people knew something he didn't, and couldn't believe he didn't know it. It made him feel like an idiot.

"You don't know what a pink triangle is?" Janet asked in disbelief. "Do you live under a rock?"

Techie saw the embarrassment on Matt's face, and began to say, "Janet, that's not--"

"It's a Gay Rights symbol, hello!" Janet interrupted. "Are you, like, Amish or something?" 

Matt turned an even deeper shade of red. "No, I...uh..."

Techie jumped in. "Matt's from a small town, Janet. People don't talk about Gay Rights in a lot of small towns."

"Why not?" asked Janet. 

Techie sighed. "Well, there's lots of reasons. Politics, religion, and also just smaller populations. I mean, in a town of 500, you probably don't have more than a handful of gay people. So I wouldn't be surprised if those two or three weren't exactly joining together to fight the good fight, you know what I mean?"

Matt nodded. "There aren't any gay people in my town at all."

This time Janet and Techie shared a different kind of look. "Just cuz you don't know who they are," said Janet, "doesn't mean they're not there."

Matt had gone full-on lobster by now. He didn't want to be caught out as some ignorant country bumpkin. He knew the camp prided itself on being open and affirming of all identities and family structures - at the employee orientation, Armitage had made it very clear that some of his co-workers and even campers may be openly gay, lesbian, bisexual, or some word about gender that Matt had a hard time remembering. And Matt had no problem with any of that. Well, besides that he knew very little about all of it and didn't want his ignorance to embarrass him, like it was doing right now.

"I-I'm sorry...I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything. I just...I don't know very much about it all."

"Aren't you in college?" Janet asked.

"Yes. Well, I just finished."

"And you didn't learn about it in college?" Janet looked at Techie, in shock. "Techie, you said college is where everything happens! I heard you telling Mitaka that college was the first place you sucked a--"

"Okay, Janet! That's enough of that. Don't eavesdrop on the counselors, anymore, alright?"

"What? I'm not learning anything new. My parents have HBO."

"Good for you. The point is, every college is different. I went to the U, in Minneapolis. Big city colleges and small town colleges just have different...cultures. Neither is better than the other."

"Unless you're gay. Then I think the big city one would probably be better than the other," Janet said.

"Well, yeah." Techie was very aware of the tall, frozen, and red man in the corner, standing mute. "Janet, are you finished taking your meds now?" 

Janet rolled her eyes. "If you want me to leave, just say so."

"Janet, please go join your cabin at breakfast."

"Aye aye, Dr. Hux!" With a salute, Janet skipped out the door.

When she was gone, Matt slumped into the chair across from Techie's. "I'm fucking mortified."

Techie laughed. "It's no big deal."

"I just got schooled by a 6th grader."

"7th, actually. She skipped a grade." Techie smirked. "I'm surprised she hasn't told you multiple times." 

"Oh, well then, I feel instantly better." 

"Don't sweat it. We all learn things for the first time at some point."

"I wish your brother had included all the symbols in his Camp Culture orientation..."

"I'll give him the note for next year."

Matt sighed. "I don't want you to think I'm some backwards hick. I don't know a lot about, you know...gay stuff. But I've got nothing against it! I just never met anyone or anything. My sister rented a copy of My Own Private Idaho cuz she loved River Phoenix but my mom turned it off about 10 minutes in."

"Great movie."

"The first ten minutes seemed promising."

Matt and Techie both chuckled softly, each knowing the question that was hanging in the air. Matt cleared his throat. "So, um, are you...gay?"

Techie nodded. "Bisexual, actually, but yeah. Do you know what that means?"

Matt rolled his eyes. "I'm not a complete moron. You date guys and girls, right? Like Bowie."

Techie smiled. "Like Bowie. Sure."

"Can I ask kind of a dumb question? I mean, well, another one?"

"Sure."

"How do you find the time?"

Techie raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"Well, whenever I've had a girlfriend it was always hard to balance work and school and spending time with her. It must be even harder when you have to set aside time for a boyfriend AND a girlfriend."

Techie held back his laugh. "Oh, uh, I don't have both at the same time. I mean, I guess maybe some people do, but I just date one person at a time."

"Oh. That makes more sense..."

Matt looked down at his shoes, then around the room. Techie knew he had more to ask.

"Go ahead, Matt. What else do you wanna know?"

"How...how did you know?"

So Techie told him. And he tried to ignore the flips in his stomach, the ones that suggested that Matt's curiosity was more than just academic. He remembered when he asked Armie that, "how did you know you were gay?" and how he was only asking because he thought maybe he himself was gay, too. But still, Techie told himself, even if Matt isn't completely straight, he's too fresh and confused. It wouldn't be right to pursue him. And even if he were 100% same-sex inclined, that doesn't mean he'd be into Techie. Too skinny, too orange, weak-boned and asthmatic Techie. He was far from First Gay Crush material.

So Techie resolved to take on the role of an educator, a walking Encyclopedia. He'd answer all the questions Matt had, and that'd be the extent of their relationship. Questions and answers. 

And Matt had a LOT of questions.


	3. Cooling Off

Saturday brings an unexpected heatwave and the whole camp is suffering. There's only AC in the office, and it's a window unit, thus only so powerful against the 100 degree weather. Phasma has already cleared the grocery in town out of popsicles, so the counselors are taking to freezing orange juice and tooth picks in ice cube trays. It's not nearly enough.

Techie's doing better than most, though. He does work in the office, and while the window unit only does so much, it sure does something, and he's happy to sit in front of it with his legs kicked up, hair in a bun, an issue of NME propped open on his lap. Plus, he's got a fridge full of snacks. He's happy to stay there until the temperature is back in the low 70s where he likes it, even if that's several days away. But Armitage has other plans.

"Go swimming," Armitage demands, seemingly apparating out of thin air. "And get your shoes off the desk."

Techie leaves his shoes where they are and continues reading an article about Blur vs. Oasis. "I'm good here, thanks."

"You need a break." Armitage insists. "Go down to the lake."

"I need to be here to tend to the inevitably sick and injured children."

"I'll cover for you. I'm making every non-counselor take a 30 minute lake break. Staggered of course, so I can cover. Now go."

"I don't feel like a swim, Armie. Look at me, I'm cool as a cucumber. You're the one dripping with sweat. You take my swim shift. Have fun!"

"William." Armitage pushes Techie's legs off the desk, not hard but not gentle, either. "This is non-negotiable. Go spend a half hour in the lake. That's all I'm asking. No. Telling."

Techie sighs. He knows his brother well enough to know when he stands a chance to win an argument, and he can tell his chance today is nil. He throws down the magazine on top of a pile of allergy lists and heads through the south door into his bedroom. Begrudgingly, he changes into his blue swim trunks and lathers up the SPF 100 sunblock. As he does so, he calls to the other room, "this doesn't haven't anything to do with a certain lifeguard, does it?"

"What ever do you mean?" Though he can't see him, Techie knows Armitage is smirking.

"Your little set-up schtick is futile. He's straight, and you're not good enough at social interaction to be a successful matchmaker." 

Techie walks back into the health office and is greeted by a beach towel being thrown in his face. He catches it clumsily.

"I disagree on both accounts." Armitage says. "Now, out with you. See you in a half hour!"

* * * * 

It's a bit like torture, Matt thinks, sitting up on his lifeguard chair, frying alive, watching everyone swim in the cold lake water. 10 more minutes till shift change, but it feels like an eternity. He's not used to this heat.

He sips at his Coke, which is already lukewarm, and sings songs under his breath, trying to pass the time. He knows the first three tracks of The Blue Album were, altogether, just over 10 minutes long, so he starts with the opening riff to "My Name Is Jonas." His strategy seems to work, and he's in the second verse of "The World Has Turned And Left Me Here" when he sees the long red hair he hasn't been able to get out of his head.

Matt hates the way his eyes go right to Techie, how he can't look away, how he jumps when Trevor says "Matt! Your break!" and climbs up the ladder. Did he see? Did Trevor see how Matt's gaze lingered on Techie's long, slim frame? On that shining red hair? On those quickly-multiplying freckles?

Fuck.

Matt dives right into the water from his post, eager to cool off. The lake water's chill is a shock, but a good one. It's nice to think about just-the-cold for a minute. Nice to turn off everything else floating around in his stupid confused brain.

And he knows it's probably best if he stays to himself, but he feels himself being pulled towards Techie, like there's a strong current running his way, even though the water is calm and still. Techie's walked out much deeper than everyone else, the water hitting the top of his shoulders, his head tilted up to the sun, eyes closed. The word "beautiful" resounds inside Matt's head but he pretends he can't hear it.

"Hey," he calls, approaching. Techie doesn't move, but says "hey" back. 

"It's a scorcher, huh?" Matt asks, sounding too much like his lame-ass dad. He rolls his own eyes at himself. 

"Indeed. I was fine in front of my AC unit, but my brother forced me out." Techie finally looks at Matt, his eyes squinting in the bright sunlight. 

"Oh, that sucks, I'm sorry."

"Not your fault." Techie shrugs. "And I wouldn't say it to him, but I'm kinda glad he did. I always forget how much I like being in the water till I'm actually in it, you know?"

Matt smiles and nods. "Yeah. I feel that way with drinking water, too."

Techie frowns. "Fuck, now I'm thirsty." Techie twists at his waist, splashing the water near his fingertips ever-so-slightly. "A cold beer would be awesome right now."

"That sounds great. We should have adult swim tonight, when the kids are in bed!"

"Instead of Staff Campfire?"

"Who wants to start a fire in this heat?"

"Good point. Yeah, that's a good idea! I'll share it with Armie when I get back to the office."

"Is he covering for you?"

"Unfortunately, yes. I feel bad for the kid who needs any kind of medical attention on his watch. He has the bedside manner of a misanthropic cactus."

Matt laughs at that. "Well, it's nice he gave you a break to come down here."

"He's doing it for all the non-counselors. Trying to make up for not giving us health insurance, maybe," Techie snorts.

"Really? I haven't seen any other staff down here."

"You haven't." Techie says through gritted teeth. It's not a question. That well-meaning meddling bastard!

"Bit of nepotism, I guess?" Matt says with a chuckle. "Being the brother of the boss must have its perks, huh?"

"And its drawbacks." Like zero fucking autonomy, Techie thinks. Even if he does it out of love, Armitage's constant need to make decisions for Techie is exhausting at best, disrespectful and destructive at worst. 

Matt isn't sure what to say to that, but Techie's digital watch beeps, filling in the silence. "And my 30 minutes is nearly up," Techie sighs. He wrings out his long hair and loops it up into a bun before turning back toward shore. "I'll see you later, I guess."

"Will you be at dinner tonight?" Matt asks, sounding much more eager than he means to.

"Maybe." Techie says at first, but then he must see something on Matt's face, something like disappointment mixed up with hope, that makes him say, "probably, yeah. Save me a seat?"

Matt smiles and nods. "You got it."


	4. Supercharged Ice Breakers

They sit together at dinner that night - not alone together, of course; Mitaka and Thannison are right beside them, eagerly debating about which Star Trek series is the best. But it's nice anyhow. Matt and Techie share a smirk now and then, and talk a little about the albums they've been listening to lately. Matt is impressed by Techie's near-encyclopedic knowledge of Irish, Scottish, and English rock and alternative, and he makes mental notes of bands to check out next time he's in a record store. The food is the same slop as always, but Matt thinks it's the best dinner he's had at camp thus far.

After dinner is the weekly staff meeting. Phasma and the junior counselors supervise the kids in the auditorium for movie night, and Hux leads the staff on policy updates, weekly goals, and a lot of other boring stuff Techie mentally checks out of. He has his walkie-talkie on, in case he's needed in the health office, but somehow no one ever gets hurt or sick during these boring meetings.

"I have a new assignment for all of you!" Hux booms from the front of the dining hall. The staff is no more than 20 people, there's no need for him to address them in this formal projecting-at-the-front-of-the-room style, but Hux sure loves public speaking and commanding an audience. "I've decided we should have a staff mentoring program."

Everyone groans. Hux pretends he doesn't hear it.

"We have more new staff this year than ever before, and I have to imagine they feel a bit like outsiders, coming into this tight-knit group. Many of us have known each other since we were campers ourselves - it must be intimidating to come into a job where everyone is old friends."

Techie glances at Matt, looking for a reaction. Has he been feeling that way? If so, it would explain why he wants to spend so much time with him. Techie's pretty non-intimidating - if Matt is looking for a friend, of course he'd turn to him.

Matt shows no reaction, however, and Hux continues on. "I've taken the liberty of pairing each new staff member with a more experienced one. I expect you all to spend at least 4 meals a week together, and I will occasionally have tasks for you to do as a pair at our weekly meetings. The point of this is to welcome our new team members in, show them the ropes, and make them feel apart of the family. Understood?"

The staff mumble in assent.

"Wonderful. For the rest of tonight's meeting, you and your partner will get to know each other. I have a deck of cards for each of you, chock-full of Supercharged Ice Breakers. These'll help you get to know each other FAST. We only have 8 more weeks in the summer, so time is of the essence! Now, if you'll all listen carefully as I call off the pairs."

Hux produces a folded up list from his shirt pocket, unfolds it, and begins to read. "Mitaka and Kylo Ren." 

Mitaka goes white as a sheet.

"Thanisson and Hector. Next is Betsy and Jennifer. Sarah, you will be with Phasma, go take this deck of cards and meet her in the auditorium. Next is William and Matt. Then we have Victoria and --"

Techie sighs. Armie has gone too far this time.

Matt leans over to Techie and whispers, "Who's William?"

"I am."

Techie snatches the deck of cards from his brother and beckons Matt to follow him to the health office. Matt looks after him, confused, and Techie realizes he needs to cool it. If Matt finds out why he's mad, then he'll find out there's some interest there, and Techie doesn't need him to know that. Better just treat it like a coincidence. Neutral reaction.

"Alright," says Techie, sitting down in his regular chair. He gestures for Matt to sit down across from him and hands him the deck of cards. "You start."

"Ok," Matt says, picking up a card but not looking at it. He seems to start and stop, start and stop. Finally, he puts the card down and says, "can I ask you something not on the card first?"

"Sure."

"Why didn't I know your name is William?"

Techie shrugs. "No one calls me that but Armitage and my parents. It's too formal."

"Why are you called 'Techie?'"

"It started here at camp. I was always fiddling around with technical stuff. I've always been into how things work - guitars, computers, other electric stuff. When I was 12 I always followed the camp technician around, asking him questions and if I could help him. I'd hang around the camp nurse, too. Medical equipment has always fascinated me, too. Anyway, some of the counselors started calling me Technician Jr. Then shortened it to Techie, and it stuck. I liked being known for something - up till then I thought people either knew me as Armitage's little brother or not at all. So I owned it. Started introducing myself that way. Now it's my name."

"Does anyone ever call you Will or Bill or anything?"

"Yeah, I go by Will with professors and stuff, and I'm sure I'll have to in med school. People I date usually end up calling me Will, too - I guess it's hard to call someone Techie in an amorous moment."

"Do you prefer one or another?"

"Not anymore. Will or Techie is fine by me. Camp folks almost all call me Techie, though. This where the name started, so I guess it's where it lives the strongest."

Matt nods. "I think I'd like to call you Will, if you don't mind."

Techie chuckles. "I just said I don't mind."

"Right." Matt says. "Ok." He clears his throat, then picks the card back up. "First question: what are your career goals?"

Techie sighs in relief. He thought the questions would be super personal. This isn't so bad. "I want to be a pediatric surgeon."

"Wow. How come?"

Techie shrugs. "I like working with kids, and I'm obviously technical stuff is kind of my thing." He pauses, unsure if the next part is worth sharing. Hell, why not? "I had a lot of surgeries as a kid, stuff was really wrong with my heart and lungs and I was in and out of hospitals for the first six years of my life. But I had great doctors, they helped me not be scared and they saved my life. I want to do that for kids, too."

Matt smiles. "That's...awesome. That's really admirable, Techie."

Techie smirks. "I thought you were going to call me Will now?"

Matt feels his cheeks go hot, looking at that smirk. "I need time to adjust."

"Well what about you?" Techie asks. "What do you want to do?"

Matt shakes his head. "I don't really know. My dad's a marine mechanic, owns his own business and wants me to take over. Thought it was a waste of money for me to go to college but I convinced him I'd have a better head for business if I did. I don't think I want that, though. I know I don't want to stay in Elm Creek. But it's been 'the plan' for so long I find it hard to think of any other options."

"Well, what do you like?" Techie asks.

"I...I don't really know that, either." 

They sit in awkward silence for a moment. Matt embarrassed and ashamed at his lack of direction, Techie sensing this but unsure how to comfort him. Eventually, Techie decides to pick up another card. "If you could spend a week anywhere in the world, where would it be?"

That question and the next few are relatively easy, non-loaded questions. Techie and Matt are grateful for that. But the sixth question has a little more weight to it.

Matt's the one who picks it up. He considers putting it back in the deck, or making up another question altogether. But part of him is awfully curious. He wants to ask it. "Um, this one says, 'have you ever been in love?'"

Techie can't help but think the other pairs don't have this card in their deck. He tries to be nonchalant about it. "Yeah. A couple times. You?"

Matt shakes his head. "No, I haven't."

That surprises Techie. "But you've had girlfriends before, right? You mentioned that you had."

"Yeah," says Matt, a hint of melancholy in his deep voice. "But I wasn't in love with any of them."

"Oh."

Matt's voice is soft now, softer than Techie has ever heard it. He nearly has to lean over the desk to hear him. "I wanted to be. I tried to be. But I wasn't." Big brown eyes are boring into Techie's blue ones, begging him to understand. Matt's telling him something real. Techie has to listen.

"It's ok," Techie says.

Matt gulps. "I don't know if it is. I didn't...I've always been told it's not ok."

Techie nods. "I understand. But it is. You don't have to...there's no need to pretend, here."

Matt's eyes are glistening now. "I'm scared, Will. To let what I've pushed down rise to the surface. I don't think I can push it back down that after it's up and out."

Techie's reached over now, taken Matt's large hand in his own. "No, you probably can't. But maybe that's a good thing."

Matt opens his mouth to speak, but a crash through the door stops his thought. Thannison is panting heavily.

"Techie, we need you by Staff C. Kylo clocked Mitaka HARD and he's bleeding like crazy and unresponsive."

"Shit," Techie jumps out of his chair, hand jumping out of Matt's. Did Thannison see? Whatever, now isn't the time. "Matt, grab the box of tampons from the bathroom. Thannison, some ice." Techie himself gathers up gauze, bandages, smelling salts, and other potentially necessary accouterments. And down to the cabins run.

**Author's Note:**

> Please leave comments, they encourage me to write!
> 
> If people are interested, I have a playlist I can post with the next chapter...
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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